Return and Happy Trails 10/27

A bonus gameday edition? Yup, a bonus gameday edition.

Because there’s moar transactions!

(Yes, I purposely spelled more that way.)

First, we’ll start with the Return in the title: goaltender Drew Fielding returns to the Thunder for the third straight season, signing a contract on Thursday. Since turning pro following the 2014-15 season after finishing his collegiate career at the University of St. Thomas (a tiny NCAA Division III school in Minnesota), Fielding has become a journeyman goaltender, filling in where needed. In 2015-16, he split 31 games between Adirondack (25) and Brampton (6), going 12-12-4, and making one appearance for the Thunder in the Kelly Cup playoffs that spring, starting the season in Glens Falls, then going to Brampton, then back to Adirondack. Last season, he would start with Reading, but would return to the Thunder for a second stint. Combined he would go 9-6-0 in 17 appearances, and even got a shot as a backup for Providence late in the season. He also spent three games with the SPHL’s Pensacola Ice Flyers, going 0-2-1. He may be making his 2017-18 debut this weekend, with a 3 in 3 looming (of note, Nick Riopel has played every single minute this season).

With the additions of Fielding, and Colton White and Shane Conacher earlier in the week, room had to be made on the roster. Happy trails and good luck to defenseman Tim Boyle, forward Caleb Cameron, and goaltender Nick Niedert, who were all released. Boyle and Cameron each made their lone appearance in Saturday’s overtime loss in Reading, going scoreless and -1. Niedert was pushed into EBUG duty after Ken Appleby was recalled to Binghamton last Friday.